четверг, 15 марта 2012 г.

Proteas at 330-6 on day 2 of 1st test vs. England

England's disciplined bowling removed Jacques Kallis and J.P. Duminy on Thursday as South Africa added 68 runs in the opening session to reach 330 for six wickets on the second day of the first test.

Kallis had added eight runs to his overnight score of 112 when he edged a delivery from James Anderson to be caught low down at second slip by Paul Collingwood in the seventh over of the day.

Kallis batted for just over five hours, hitting 16 fours and a six in 225 balls to record his 32nd test century and put on a 124-run partnership with Duminy. His dismissal came after South Africa added 21 after resuming on 262-4 at SuperSport Park.

Mark Boucher …

Maurice G. Koppel, building designer

Maurice G. Koppel, who had a hand in designing many of the city'sfamous high-rise buildings, died Sunday. He was 93.

Mr. Koppel, of Lincolnwood, was involved in the wave ofcondominium conversions that hit the city in the early 1960s. Amongthe buildings he worked on: the Carlisle, Outer Drive East, DoralPlaza, the Carriage House and 1440 Lake Shore Drive.

Mr. Koppel also was involved in commercial design. He spenttwo years designing and …

Oil prices start the new year at a 26-month high

NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices rose past $92 a barrel on Monday to a 26-month high, as the new year began with the prospect of still higher energy prices to come.

Benchmark oil for February delivery rose as high as $92.66 a barrel, $1.20 above Friday's settlement price, in trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It gave up most of those gains to settle 17 cents higher at $91.55 on Monday. The last time oil settled above $92 a barrel was on Oct. 3, 2008, when it reached $93.88.

Oil has been gaining ground on speculation that the global economy will continue to grow in 2011. Many analysts expect the price for oil to reach at least $100 a barrel this year, which will mean higher …

среда, 14 марта 2012 г.

Bees find a home near bullpen at Marlins' ballpark

The latest buzz at the Florida Marlins' ballpark involves bees.

An area near the visitors' bullpen became infested, with one entire section of seats and part of another were roped off for Saturday night's game against the Washington Nationals.

Car Talk: ; It takes a lot of training, practice to be stunt driver

Dear : I want to know how to get a job, a very specific job. Itseems like every car commercial on the networks now shows thevehicle soaring through sand dunes or simply down a quiet road, yetthey always show a disclaimer: "Professional Driver on ClosedCourse." Those guys and gals are never on camera, except for theirhelmets, but they get all the giggles of getting paid to have a LOTof fun driving! Because we see so many of these commercials, itwould seem that there is a huge demand for these "professionaldrivers," yet I have never seen a want ad anywhere for one. Thereare ads for big-rig drivers, but not for these commercials.

It looks like fun, and there ought to be good …

Putting a Price on a Head; Work stoppages, discrimination complaints, imposition of protective import tariffs and international trade battles are often triggered by allegations of unfair compensation.

Work stoppages, discrimination complaints, imposition of protective import tariffs and international trade battles are often triggered by allegations of unfair compensation. Behind these conflicts is an underlying question: What is the value of an employee?

Baseline columnist Paul A. Strassmann, who served as a technology executive and consultant to Fortune 500 companies, devised a formula to measure the worth of an employee at a public corporation (see "Real Numbers," p. 30, and "Tool," right).

His goal: Give information management executives a better understanding of how to allocate scarce I.T. resources. "There are a growing number of firms where the overwhelming …

UNC-Asheville defeats Gardner-Webb 86-76

Matt Dickey scored 18 points and Reid Augst added 17 to lead North Carolina-Asheville to a 86-76 win over Gardner-Webb on Wednesday night.

Gardner-Webb (5-9, 1-3 Big South Conference) led 43-38 at halftime and 57-48 with 13 minutes left, but was just 9-for-33 from the field in the second half.

The Bulldogs (7-8, 3-1) shot 56.6 percent for the game (30 of 53), and had six players in double figures. J.P. Primm added 13 …

Cats not likely to endanger health of pregnant women

Q. I'd like your opinion on how cat litter affects unbornchildren. My family doctor claims the germs in the litter can evenbe transmitted through the air. Also, sometimes when my cat comesin, she has a messy bottom, forcing me to clean her up. I understandthere is a test to take before pregnancy to determine if I would beaffected by the litter. Since there is such a danger, I think it'sdisgusting that doctors don't discuss this more with women. I neverheard of it until now.

A. The disease your doctor is concerned about is calledtoxoplasmosis. Your vet can easily check your cat for this disease.The most common source of this disease is poorly cooked meat - notpets! …

EU and China to Cap Clothing Trade

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Union and China have agreed to cap Chinese clothing exports to Europe until the end of 2008, the European Commission said Tuesday.

The EU's executive arm said it would run "joint import surveillance" with the Chinese Foreign Trade Ministry for the next year for some types of clothing instead of lifting …

AC Milan reject Pato approach

AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani claimed it turned down a "monster offer" for striker Alexander Pato.

Pato has been linked with a move to Chelsea to join former Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti, but Galliani said on Thursday that Milan was preparing to offer the Brazil teenager a contract extension.

On Wednesday, 19-year-old Pato said at the Confederations Cup that he wished to remain with the San Siro club.

"Pato will get a contract extension. I am absolutely delighted by Pato's comments," Galliani told the club Web …

Veterans Get a Belated German Apology

WARSAW, Poland German President Roman Herzog, attending memorialservices here marking the 50th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising,issued an extraordinary public apology Monday for the sufferingGermany caused Poland in World War II.

"Today I bow down before the fighters of the Warsaw Uprising asbefore all Polish victims of the war," Herzog said after laying awreath draped in the German tricolor at the foot of this city'smonument to the failed rebellion. "I ask for forgiveness for whathas been done to you by Germans."

Thousands of Polish uprising veterans who had gathered fromaround the world for the late-night commemoration broke intoapplause, continuing the …

Gold down

NEW YORK (AP) — Gold for current delivery closed at $1,823.50 per troy ounce …

Blue Angels Regroup for Show After Crash

SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. - After 21 years as a U.S. Navy pilot, his career boasting nearly 900 aircraft carrier landings and air combat during the first Gulf War, tragedy comes as no surprise to Cmdr. Kevin Mannix.

That includes last month's fatal crash of a fellow Blue Angels pilot during a show in South Carolina.

But for Blue Angels pilots, whose demeanor is a key part of the job, the tragedy offers another opportunity to perform the mission they were first given six decades ago: promote the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marines Corps to the world.

"Our ability to bounce back and do our mission is the same as every other squadron in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps," said Mannix, minutes after practicing Thursday at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, where the team on Saturday was to perform its first show since the crash April 21.

"The only difference is there's a lot more visibility on us because we are in the public eye," he said. "That's our job and that's what we do. I think a lot more media was focused our way on this specific mishap."

Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Davis, 32, died when his No. 6 jet went down during the final minutes of a performance at the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in Beaufort, S.C. The Pittsfield, Mass., native was in his first year flying in formation with the team.

An investigation into the cause of the crash, the Blue Angels' first since 1999 and the 26th fatality in the team's 60-year history, could take several months, according to the Navy.

The Blue Angels typically fly their F/A-18A Hornets six days a week, but they stayed on the ground for nine days after the crash, canceling scheduled performances May 5 and May 6 at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.

Saturday's show was to feature only five jets. Lt. Cmdr. Craig Olson, 37, of Kirkland, Wash., replaced Davis a couple of weeks ago. Olson, who flew with the Blue Angels from 2003-2005, will practice with the team for a few more weeks before flying in a show, Mannix said.

Mannix, the team's lead pilot in the No. 1 jet, said there was anxiety among the pilots before they flew for the first time after the crash.

"We lost a brother, a great friend, a great American, actually," Lt. Cmdr. John Allison, who flies the No. 5 jet, told reporters Thursday after practice. "But we're trying to move forward and think about flying, you know, think about our jobs."

During practice, the team flew in its traditional delta formation, the triangle lineup they were in when Davis crashed. Olson practiced as one of two solo members, hitting mach speeds and performing head-on near misses with Allison.

Each year, the Navy considers up to about 70 pilots for the squadron. The final six pilots train constantly between January and March at El Centro Naval Air Facility, Calif., and are stationed at Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida.

The team is scheduled to fly 66 air shows this year at 35 locations across the country.

The Blue Angels fly without the traditional G-suits, which most jet pilots wear to avoid blacking out during maneuvers that exert strong gravitational forces. The suits inflate and deflate air bladders around the lower body to keep blood in the brain and heart.

The air bladders can cause a pilot to bump the control stick, so the Blue Angels learn to manage the G-forces by tensing their abdominal muscles.

After a fatal crash, team members said, one of the best responses is to get back into the cockpit and grace the skies with twirls, climbs, dives and near misses at around 350 mph and only inches apart.

"It feels good for the team to go back and do it," Mannix said Thursday, "including myself all the way down to the maintainers to do what we do for the American public, to get out there and show them we are resilient in what we do."

---

On the Net:

Blue Angels: http://www.blueangels.navy.mil

Wings Over Wayne Air Show: http://www.wingsoverwayneairshow.com

вторник, 13 марта 2012 г.

The iso-competition point for counterion competition binding to DNA: Calculated multivalent versus monovalent cation binding equivalent

ABSTRACT In this paper we introduce an important parameter called the iso-competition point (ICP), to characterize the competition binding to DNA in a two-cation-species system. By imposing the condition of charge neutralization fraction equivalence theta^sub 1^ = Ztheta^sub z^ upon the two simultaneous equations in Manning's counterion condensation theory, the ICPs can be calculated. Each ICP, which refers to a particular multivalent concentration where the charge fraction on DNA neutralized from monovalent cations equals that from the multivalent cations, corresponds to a specific ionic strength condition. At fixed ionic strength, the total DNA charge neutralization fractions theta^sub ICP^ are equal, no matter whether the higher valence cation is divalent, trivalent, or tetravalent. The ionic strength effect on ICP can be expressed by a semiquantitative equation as ICP^sub za^/ICP^sub zb^ = (I^sub a^/I^sub b^)^sup Z^, where I^sub a^, I^sub b^ refers to the instance of ionic strengths and Z indicates the valence. The ICP can be used to interpret and characterize the ionic strength, valence, and DNA length effects on the counterion competition binding in a two-species system. Data from our previous investigations involving binding of Mg^sup 2+^, Ca^sup 2+^, and Co(NH^sub 3^)^sup 3+^^sub 6^ to lambda-DNA-HindIII fragments ranging from 2.0 to 23.1 kbp was used to investigate the applicability of ICP to describe counterion binding. It will be shown that the ICP parameter presents a prospective picture of the counterion competition binding to polyelectrolyte DNA under a specific ion environment condition.

INTRODUCTION

For over two decades, the phenomenon of counterion condensation has attracted many scientists' experimental and theoretical attention, either from a biological view or polyelectrolyte perspective. Particularly from the standpoint of conformational properties of polyion DNA, such as the helix-coil transition (Widom and Baldwin, 1980; Bloomfield, 1991), the condensation based collapse of DNA and its resulting structure (Allison et al., 1981; Marx and Ruben, 1983, 1986; Marx and Reynolds, 1982, 1989; Arscott et al., 1990; Plum et al., 1990; Li et al., 1992), has been fairly well studied. A variety of experimental approaches, including NMR (Granot and Kearns, 1982), differential scanning calorimetry (Labarbe et al., 1996), Raman spectroscopy (Langlais et al., 1990), absorption measurements (Manzini et al., 1990), electrophoretic light scattering (Rhee and Ware, 1983; Xia et al., 1993), and gel electrophoresis (Ma and Bloomfield, 1995; Li et al., 1996, 1998) have been employed to measure the counterion binding to DNA. These studies compared the experimental results with predictions from polyelectrolyte theory, either Manning's counterion condensation (CC) theory (Manning, 1977, 1978, 1981), and/or the Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) equation.

Our previous studies were focused on the counterion competition binding of multivalent versus monovalent counterions onto polyelectrolyte DNA. The interactions of divalent cations (Mg^sup 2+^, Ca^sup 2+^), and trivalent cations (hexamine cobalt (III) and spermidine^sup 3+^) with lambda-DNA-HindIII fragments ranging from 2,027 to 23,130 bp in Tris-borateEDTA buffer solutions were examined using pulsed gel electrophoresis (Li et al., 1996, 1998; Holzwarth et al., 1989). The divalent or trivalent counterions competed with Tris+ and Na+ for binding onto polyion DNA, and the competition binding details were investigated by measuring the reduction of DNA gel electrophoretic mobility under a specific ion environment. The measured data were interpreted by the Henry gel model (Cantor and Schimmel, 1980; Rice and Nagasawa, 1961) and Manning's CC theory (Manning, 1977, 1978). Good agreement was found between the experimental data, based on mobility reduction measurements converted to the total charge neutralization fraction theta, and the predicted value from Manning's CC theory.

In our studies of counterion competition binding, the ionic strength, counterion valence, and DNA molecular weight effects on the competition binding were carefully investigated (Li et al., 1996, 1997, 1998). From these studies we developed an insight into the counterion binding system which revealed that the above phenomena could all be associated with an important parameter defined to be the iso-competition point [ICP] (Li et al., 1997). The ICP refers to a critical multivalent cation concentration, at a given ionic strength and temperature, where the multivalent cations possess a charge neutralization fraction on DNA equal to that of monovalent cations. In the following paper we discuss the definition and calculation of ICP, and how ICP may be applied to characterize and interpret the counterion competition binding. It will be shown that the ICP parameter actually presents a prospective picture of the counterion competition binding to polyelectrolyte DNA under a specific ion environment condition.

DEFINITION AND COMPUTATION

In this section we define ICP through three simultaneous equations that include Manning's two equations, and present the approach to calculate ICP corresponding to a specific ion environment.

Computation of ICP

To obtain the value of ICP where Eqs. 1-3 need to be solved simultaneously, the MATHEMATICA tool (Wolfram, 1991) was employed to execute the iterative numerical calculations, and the computation approach is similar to that described in the following publications (Li et al., 1996, 1998). The main procedure is divided into two steps: calculation of the ion environment and simultaneous solution of the three equations.

If the calculation of ICP is associated with a particular experimental environment, it is necessary in the first step to analyze the ion environment and calculate the correct ionic strength and monovalent cation concentration as well. The ionic strength is calculated corresponding to a particular ion environment based on the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation (Perrin and Dempsey, 1979) where the pK^sub a^ value was corrected iteratively using the Davies equation (Perrin and Dempsey, 1979) to be pK'^sub a^, corresponding to the chosen ionic strength. If ICP calculation is not associated with a real experimental system, but is a simulation, the first step could be skipped. In the simulation system, the ionic strength value could be set equal to the monovalent concentration.

For the second step, obtaining the numerical solutions of the three simultaneous equations, the Debye-Huckel screening parameter kappa should be calculated according to the known ionic strength (Li et al., 1996). The condensation volumes V^sub p1^, V^sub p2^, V^sub p3^, and V^sub p4^ then need to be computed corresponding to the individual valences Z = 1, 2, 3, 4, respectively (Li et al., 1998). With all parameters substituted in Eqs. 1-3, these simultaneous equations are solved iteratively by a small program based on the MATHEMATICA tool (Wolfram,1991). The specific charge neutralization fractions theta^sub I_ICP^ and theta^sub Z_ICP^ and the critical multivalent cation concentration ICP were obtained. At this particular ICP we have the following relationship: oI_ICP = Ztheta^sub Z_ICP^, which states the concept of the ICP mathematically. It illustrates that the DNA charge neutralized by the monovalent cation theta^sub 1_ICP^ is equal to that neutralized by the higher valence cation, which is Ztheta^sub Z_ICP^.

PROPERTIES of ICP

In this section we present and discuss important features of the calculated ICP values to have an essential understanding of the nature of ICP.

ICP and CCP

In studying the condensation-based collapse of DNA, it is well known that reaching a critical charge neutralization fraction (0.890) of the DNA is required to bring about the DNA collapse (Wilson and Bloomfield, 1979). The critical collapse conditions were described (Li et al., 1996) by C^sub 1^, where ionic strength equals C^sub 1^, and the critical collapse point (CCP) defined as the trivalent cation concentration. Fig. 3 A presents curves of ICP and CCP versus ionic strength, where I = C^sub 1^. At a fixed temperature, each ionic strength has an ICP value, where the counterion competition binding reaches a balance and the charge neutralization fraction is equal from the competing monovalent and trivalent counterions. Also, each ionic strength has a CCP, where the total charge neutralization fraction is 0.890. It is clear that at any ionic strength the CCP value is much higher than ICP. That is because ICP is a transition point where the trivalent counterions start to dominate the binding to DNA, and CCP is the "final" point where the charge neutralization fraction caused mainly by trivalent counterions finally brings about the conformational collapse of DNA. In Fig. 3 B the nonlinear relationship between CCP and ICP is observed. The slope of the curve is lower when ionic strength increases in Fig. 3 B, which corresponds to the decreasing distance between ICP and CCP points when ionic strength rises in Fig. 3 A. This is the case because at higher ionic strength the total charge neutralization, theta^sub ICP^, has a higher value, which is closer to the critical charge neutralization fraction of 0.890.

INTERPRETATION OF COUNTERION BINDING BY ICP

The concept of ICP is closely associated with Manning's two-variable CC theory, and it is introduced to characterize and interpret the counterion competition binding in the two-species system.

ICP and valence effects

In Fig. 4 the charge neutralization fraction from monovalent theta^sub 1^, from multivalent theta^sub 2^, (theta^sub 3^) and the total theta versus the logarithm of multivalent ion concentration C^sub 2^ (C^sub 3^) is presented. Notice that the heavy symbols represent the trivalent case and the light symbols represent the divalent case. The data of Fig. 4 were calculated by CC theory to correspond to two separate competition binding systems we have experimentally investigated. One is the binding of Co(NH^sub 3^)^sup 3+^^sub 6^ to lamda-DNA-HindIII fragments in 22.79 mM ionic strength and 19.80 mM monovalent ion concentration; another is the binding of Mg^sup 2+^ to A-DNA-HindIII fragments in 17.70 mM ionic strength and 17.67 mM monovalent ion concentration. The theoretical curves show the competition binding between divalent and trivalent cations with monovalent cations directly. Upon inspection of trivalent cations (0.01400 (mu)M) competing with monovalent cations (19.80 mM) in an ionic strength of 22.79 mM, one notices that the monovalent charge fraction drops rapidly, whereas the trivalent cation charge fraction rises at the same rate, and the two curves cross at 0.387 (mu)M, where trivalent and monovalent cations have equal charge neutralization fractions. Under these conditions the trivalent cation concentration 0.387 (mu)M is nothing but the ICP. After this point the trivalent cation dominates the binding competition. In the case of divalent cations (0.01-400 (mu)M) competing with monovalent cations (17.67 mM) in an ionic strength of 17.70 mM, a different quantitative binding behavior is observed. The rising rate of charge neutralization fraction theta^sub 2^ is much slower than theta^sub 3^ in the previous case, and the same is true of the decreased rate of theta^sub 1^ lowering. The divalent cation concentration (ICP) corresponding to the crossover point is 53.70 (mu)M where divalent and monovalent cations have equal charge neutralization fractions. Notice that the ICP of divalent cations is much larger (more than two orders of magnitude) than ICP of trivalent cations under very similar ion environment conditions. Knowing the values of ICP (divalent and trivalent), one can evaluate how rapidly the trivalent cation will dominate the DNA binding competition in contrast to the much less effective divalent cation competitor. The valence effect on competition binding reflected by ICP here is consistent with the valence behavior of ICP shown in Fig. 1. It is clear that the ICP parameter provides an important reference point for viewing a competition binding system, and indeed these data may help to design binding experiments.

ICP and ionic strength effect

The ionic strength effect on counterion binding has been discussed thoroughly in previous publications (Li et al., 1996, 1998). Here we intend to characterize the ionic strength effect on counterion binding using the novel parameter ICP. Fig. 5 presents charge neutralization fraction theta^sub 1^, theta^sub 2^ and theta versus the logarithm of divalent cation concentration at three different ionic strengths that correspond to experimental data from Li et al., 1998. The theoretical curves were calculated by CC theory. The competition conditions in Fig. 5, A-C, are divalent cations [Mg^sup 2+^] (0.01-400 (mu)M) competing with monovalent cation [Na+, Tris+] at concentrations of 8.65 mM, 17.67 mM, and 29.73 mM binding to lambda-DNA-HindIII fragments at ionic strengths of 8.67 mM, 17.70 mM, and 29.78 mM, respectively. It is observed that the crossover point, where charge neutralization from monovalent cation theta^sub 1^ is equal to that from divalent 2theta^sub 2^, shifts to the right when ionic strength increases. The ICP values, where divalent cation concentration C^sub 2^ corresponds to the crossover point values, are 12.98, 53.70, and 150 (mu)M in Fig. 5, A-C, respectively. The above ICP values characterize the ionic strength effect. The higher the ionic strength, the larger the ICP, which indicates that a higher divalent cation concentration is required to reach the point where it can start to dominate the binding. Quantitatively, one can use Eq. 6 B: ICP^sub za^/ICP^sub Zb^ = (la/IIb)z, where Z = 2, to test the above data. Using our ICP data we have 53.70 (mu)M/12.98 (mu)M = 4.14, and for ionic strength (17.70 mM/8.67 mM)^sup 2^ = 4.16. The small difference in these two values may be caused by using limited significant digits in these calculations or it may be due to the necessity for another constant added to Eq. 6 A, as ICP^sub Z^ = Const I^sup Z^ + Const. Nonetheless, Eqs. 6 A and B are useful to predict an unknown ICP from a given ICP and the ratio of the known ionic strengths.

DISCUSSION

Visualizing competition binding and ICP

In this paper we introduce an important parameter, the iso-competition point (ICP), to characterize the competition binding in a two-species system. By imposing the condition of charge neutralization equivalence theta^sub 1^ = Ztheta^sub z^ upon Manning's two simultaneous equations, ICPs can be calculated, each corresponding to a specific ionic strength. With the help of Fig. 7 B we review the ICP concept and its connection with Manning's CC theory in a visual way.

Fig. 7 B is an icon graph (Pickett and Grinstein, 1988) drawn using visualization techniques (Nielson et al., 1997) and Java programing (Campione and Walrath, 1997). Instead of a point located in a coordinate system in the traditional scatter plot, an icon is used to present multiple variables in a 2-D plot. A rectangular icon is chosen to present three variables by color and volume. The green portion of each rectangle refers to the charge fraction theta^sub 1^ neutralized by monovalent cations. The red portion of the rectangle refers to the charge neutralization fraction 2theta^sub 2^, and the total volume of the rectangle indicates the total charge neutralization fraction theta. A logarithm coordinate system was chosen to locate the icons in the ion environment comprised of the ionic strength (y axis) and divalent cation concentration (x axis). The ionic strength, where I = C^sub 1^, covers the practical range of 1-30 mM, while at each ionic strength, Ca^sup 2+^ varies over the range of 0.1 to 300 (mu)M. At a given ionic strength, upon scanning the graph from left to right, it is clear that the green portion of successive icons is gradually decreasing, while the red portion is increasing with rising divalent cation concentration. There is a special icon whose shape is rounded at the edges and its green portion exactly equals the red portion. This special icon signifies the charge neutralization fraction of ICP and the value of ICP at a particular divalent cation concentration. Notice that for one ionic strength, only one ICP exists and the special icon shows the ion competition balance visually. All the icons located on the left side of the ICP icon have larger green portions than red ones, while all the icons located on the right side of the ICP icon have larger red portions than green ones. It is clearly shown that the ICP represents a transition point, after which the divalent cations dominate the counterion binding, and the charge on polyion DNA is mostly neutralized by the divalent cations. Upon viewing the graph from bottom to top and from left to right simultaneously, the ionic strength effect will be clear. The icons in the bottom row with the lowest ionic strength (1 mM) have green portions decreasing rapidly with the increase of divalent cation concentration. It reveals at the low ionic strength that divalent cations strongly compete with the monovalent cations. Even at very low Ca^sup 2+^ concentration they dominate the competition binding, and the position of the ICP icon is located at low divalent cation concentration. For the top row with the highest ionic strength (30 mM) the competition picture is reversed, and the ICP icon appears at very high cation concentration. When viewing the icons by rows, 12 "curves" are shown. Three curves can be viewed in each horizontal row corresponding to one ionic strength. The theta^sub 1^ curve is represented by the green rectangle; the 2theta^sub 2^ curve represented by the red rectangle; and the theta curve is represented by the entire icon including green and red rectangles, which slowly increases with the increase in Ca^sup 2+^

[Reference]

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of DNA studies with Co3+(NH3)6. J. Mol. Biol. 144:431-453. Wilson, R., and V. A. Bloomfield. 1979. Counterion-induced condensation of deoxyribonucleic acid. A light-scattering study. Biochemistry. 18: 2192-2196.

Wolfram, S. 1991. Mathematica. A system for doing mathematics by computer. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Reading, MA. Xia, J., P. L. Dubin, and H. A. Havel. 1993. Electrophoretic light scattering study of counterion condensation on polylysine. Macromolecules. 26: 6335-6337.

[Author Affiliation]

Anzhi Z. Li and Kenneth A. Marx

Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854 USA

[Author Affiliation]

Received for publication 9 November 1998 and in final form 16 March 1999.

Address reprint requests to Dr. Kenneth A. Marx, Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, One University Ave., Lowell, MA 01854. Tel.: 978-934-3658; Fax: 978-934-3013; E-mail: Kenneth_Marx@uml.edu.

Dr. Li's present address is Genome Therapeutics Corporation, 100 Beaver Street, Waltham, MA 02453. E-mail: anzhi.li@genomecorp.com.

Binding and diffusion of CheR molecules within a cluster of membrane receptors

ABSTRACT Adaptation of the attractant response in Escherichia coli is attributable to the methylation of its transmembrane chemotactic receptors by the methyltransferase CheR. This protein contains two binding domains, one for the sites of methylation themselves and the other for a flexible tether at the C terminus of the receptor. We have explored the theoretical consequences of this binding geometry for a CheR molecule associated with a cluster of chemotactic receptors. Calculations show that the CheR molecule will bind with high net affinity to the receptor lattice, having a high probability of being attached by one or both of its domains at any instant of time. Because of the relatively low affinity of its individual domains and the close proximity of neighboring receptors, it is likely that when one domain unbinds it will reattach to the array before the other domain unbinds. Stochastic simulations show that the enzyme will move through the receptor cluster in a hand-over-hand fashion, like a gibbon swinging through the branches of a tree. We explore the possible consequences of this motion, which we term "molecular brachiation", for chemotactic adaptation and suggest that a similar mechanism may be operative in other large assemblies of protein molecules.

INTRODUCTION

The coliform bacterium Escherichia coli detects attractants and repellents in its environment by means of four homologous, dimeric receptors, Tar, Tsr, Trg, and Tap (Mowbray and Sandgren, 1998). These receptors are composed of an N-terminal periplasmic domain, a transmembrane region, and a long (~26 nm), coiled-coil cytoplasmic domain (Bass et al., 1999; Kim et al., 1999). The receptors tend to aggregate at the poles of the cell in a relatively stable complex with two other proteins of the chemotaxis signaling pathway, the histidine kinase, CheA, and the linking protein, CheW (Maddock and Shapiro, 1993). CheA autophosphorylates at a rate controlled by the ligand occupancy of the receptors, and acts as a phosphodonor for the response regulator, CheY. Phosphorylated CheY (CheYp) diffuses through the cytoplasm and binds to the switch complex at the base of the flagellar motor, thereby modifying the swimming behavior of the bacterium (Falke et al., 1997; Armitage, 1999; Bren and Eisenbach, 2000).

The receptors have four or five sites (glutamate or deamidated glutamine residues) in their cytoplasmic domains that undergo reversible methylation catalyzed by the methyltransferase, CheR, and the methylesterase, CheB (Mowbray and Sandgren, 1998; Zhulin, 2001). Together, these enzymes mediate adaptation of the chemotactic response by modifying the methylation state of the receptors to restore the activity of CheA (altered by the binding of ligands to the periplasmic domain of the receptors). In addition to interacting with the methylation sites midway along the cytoplasmic domain of the receptors, both CheR and CheB also interact with a second site at the extreme C terminus of the cytoplasmic domain (Wu et al., 1996). A crystallographic study has shown that the C-terminal pentapeptide of the major receptors, Tar and Tsr, binds to CheR in a sub-- domain remote from the active site (Djordjevic and Stock, 1998). Biochemical studies have shown that the presence of the pentapeptide is required for both CheR and CheB to work efficiently (Okumura et al., 1998; Barnakov et al., 1999; Shiomi et al., 2000). The pentapeptide is separated from C terminus of the cytoplasmic coiled-coil by a flexible tether (Le Moual and Koshland, 1996), which should enable either enzyme not only to modify sites on the receptor to which it is bound, but also on its immediate neighbors in a cluster of receptors. Direct experimental evidence for an interdimer mechanism of this kind has been obtained in the case of CheR, but not for CheB (Le Moual et al., 1997; Li et al., 1997).

In this study, we consider how the activity of CheR in particular (and by extension CheB) might be affected by its ability to bind to receptors at two distinct sites and by the tendency of chemotactic receptors to form large, lateral aggregates in the plasma membrane. The paper is divided into the following sections.

In the first section entitled Generic Model of a Brachiating Protein, we consider a generic model that illustrates a number of important features of the binding and diffusive movement of a bivalent "dumbbell" molecule, with two binding domains connected by a flexible linker, over a lattice of binding sites. We show that this dumbbell molecule will bind tightly to the lattice and yet undergo restricted diffusive motion within the cluster, moving by a novel hand-over-hand mechanism we term "molecular brachiation."

In the second section, Specific (CheR) Model, we provide a more specific model of the interaction of CheR molecules with the receptor lattice and show that, despite many differences, it nevertheless retains the essential features of a brachiating molecule, as seen in the case of the dumbbell protein. The many combinatorial possibilities arising in this situation are explored using a program that handles the interactions between individual molecules in a stochastic manner, from which we derive quantitative estimates of the movements of CheR molecules within the receptor lattice.

In the third section entitled Implications for Chemotaxis, we examine the implications of our analysis for the process of chemotactic adaptation and address the possibility of a variable binding affinity of CheR to the receptors and other complications in a nonquantitative manner. Finally, in section 4, Molecular Brachiation, we explore the more general implications of molecular brachiation for large arrays of protein molecules in other cells.

GENERIC MODEL OF A BRACHIATING PROTEIN

Consider a hypothetical model in which a dumbbell-shaped molecule with two identical binding domains linked by a short, flexible tether, freely diffusing in aqueous solution, encounters a regular lattice of sites to which it can bind (Fig. 1). Initial contact will be through a conventional bimolecular binding and occur at a rate proportional to the concentration of freely diffusing molecules. However, once the first domain has attached to the lattice, then the effective concentration for binding of the second domain will depend only on the length and physical properties of the tether and on the positions of nearby lattice sites. Under suitable conditions, the "effective concentration" of this second domain may be very much higher than the concentration of freely diffusing molecules, and this will enhance the probability of the molecule existing in the doubly bound form.

How tight will the binding of the dumbbell molecule be? If we assume for simplicity that the two domains have identical (diffusion-limited) association rates, kon, and dissociation rates, koff, then, for the binding of unattached dumbbell molecules, concentration R, to a lattice of binding sites, concentration T, we have the following equilibrium conditions:

IMPLICATIONS FOR CHEMOTAXIS

There is no direct evidence for the movement of CheR by brachiation through clusters of chemotactic receptors. The most unequivocal proof would require the visualization of individual CheR molecules in a cluster and observation of their residency and diffusive motion. This would certainly be difficult, not only because of the minute size of the clusters but also their inaccessibility. One could hope to produce larger clusters in cells, perhaps on those generated by inhibitors of septation (Maki et al., 2000), or even to reconstruct large clusters in vitro by the self-assembly of proteins in an artificial membrane. Membrane fractions from bacteria are indeed routinely used in the analysis of chemotaxis function, but the chemotactic receptors comprise a small fraction of the total membrane protein and the extent of clustering in the absence of cytoplasmic components remains uncertain.

There is, however, indirect or circumstantial evidence that all the conditions are in place in the living cell for brachiation of CheR to occur. To recapitulate, CheR has two distinct binding sites for the receptor: one that binds the C terminus and one that recognizes the glutamate residues that undergo methylation. Moreover, the C-terminal pentapeptide involved in binding is situated at the end of a sequence of amino acids (estimated to be ~30 residues long) that appears to have no regular structure. In such a situation, provided that the arrangement of receptor dimers in the cluster is reasonably regular and the separation between adjacent receptors is not too great, a CheR molecule attached to this site should be capable of reaching a neighboring receptor in the cluster and binding to it with enhanced affinity. Consistent with this view, there is direct biochemical evidence that CheR can catalyze the modification of one receptor while being anchored to a neighboring receptor through the flexible tether (Le Moual et al., 1997; Li et al., 1997). Moreover, it has been shown that deletion of part or all of the tether, which should abolish brachiation, reduces the activity of CheR by between one and two orders of magnitude (Le Moual et al., 1997; Li et al., 1997; Bamakov et al., 1999). If detachment and re-attachment of a CheR molecule occur at its two sites independently but at similar rates, there will be an opportunity, during episodes in which it is attached at just one site, for diffusive movement to occur. In other words, the CheR molecule could move from receptor to receptor in a manner reminiscent of a gibbon swinging through the branches of a tree, hence the term molecular brachiation.

What will be the consequences of this novel motion for chemotaxis? One salient feature of the proposed diffusive motion is that the time spent by a CheR molecule in contact with an individual receptor will be relatively brief. If the two binding sites have identical values of K^sub d^ of 2 (mu)M, then the time spent in association with either site would average 0.1 s. Interestingly, this duration matches quite well the time taken to add a methyl group to a receptor, as purified CheR in vitro has a V^sub max^ of ~10 methyl groups per receptor per minute (Simms et al., 1987) (and estimates based on the in vivo rate of adaptation give a similar value). In broad terms, therefore, the mechanism of brachiation should allow a CheR molecule time to methylate each receptor to which it binds before moving on to a different one. A simple binding interaction through a high-affinity site, by contrast, would be expected to produce a much longer dwell time. With a single binding site with a K^sub d^ of 4 nM, an enzyme would remain attached to an individual receptor for 50 s or so, which is incompatible with the observed catalytic rate.

Much of what has been said so far regarding CheR could also be applied to the demethylating enzyme CheB. This similarly sized enzyme also has two binding sites, one for a methylated residue on a receptor and the other for the C-terminal flexible tether. Although details of the interaction differ (Barnakov et al., 2001), it seems likely that CheB could also work in both an intra- and an interdimer manner, allowing it to brachiate through the receptor cluster. Another difference relates to the number of CheB molecules in the cell, apparently some 10 times higher than that of CheR (Simms et al., 1985). However, given that CheB is activated by autophosphorylation (using phosphorylated CheA as a phosphodonor), it may be that the number of active CheB molecules in a cell is not very different from the number of CheR.

There is no doubt that the actual situation in a real cluster of receptors is much more complicated than that portrayed here. Not only are there two flexible tethers and eight or 10 methylation sites per receptor dimer, but the clusters themselves are likely to be irregular in size and shape and to include receptors of different types, Tar, Tsr, Trg, and Tap, mixed together. Furthermore, as the low-abundance receptors Trg and Tap lack the C-terminal flexible tethers present on Tar and Tsr, they would be unable to mediate movement by brachiation. In fact, it has been suggested that the efficient methylation and demethylation of the low-abundance receptors will rely on their close proximity to the more abundant Tar and Tsr (Feng et al., 1997; Weerasuriya et al., 1998; Feng et al., 1999). Evidently, the presence of low-- abundance receptors in the lattice will modify, and perhaps disrupt, the smooth progression of a brachiating molecule across the lattice.

An even more fundamental complication is introduced by the conformational changes undergone by receptors in response to ligand binding, which are thought to be the basis of signal transduction in this system (Falke and Hazelbauer, 2001). It is widely believed that CheR methylates only receptors in the conformation that inactivate CheA (a situation favored by attractant binding) (Terwilliger et al., 1986; Shapiro et al., 1995), whereas CheB demethylates only receptors in the conformation that activate CheA (a situation favored by repellent binding) (Borczuk et al., 1986; Sanders and Koshland, 1988). If this scenario is correct, then 1 of the 2 binding domains of CheR (the one associated with the catalytic site) is likely to show a variable K^sub d^ for receptors depending upon their current conformational state and (perhaps) degree of methylation. If, moreover, the binding of CheR or CheB to a receptor actually stabilizes a particular conformation, then these two enzymes will tend to exclude one another and perhaps form local domains of different methylation state within the field of receptors.

In this study, we have assumed for simplicity that the affinity of CheR for the methylation site is the same as for the flexible tether, although physiologically they are likely to differ. If the affinity for the methylation site is weaker, for example, then the higher the value of this Kd, the lower the overall affinity of a CheR molecule for the receptor lattice will be and the more limited in extent its brachiation. Under such conditions, the molecule would be expected to remain attached to an individual tether as it diffuses between the methylation sites in its vicinity. Movement to a new tether would be possible but infrequent, because of the lower affinity of the second site. In a preliminary investigation of this situation, we performed simulations in which values of Kd of the methylation binding site were 100- and 1000-fold higher (that is, 0.2 and 2 mM, respectively), large enough for any differences in behavior to become apparent (Fig. 6). As expected, a CheR molecule in these circumstances becomes more restricted in its ability to diffuse over extended regions within the cluster.

MOLECULAR BRACHIATION

Although we are not aware that the concept of molecular brachiation has been described previously, phenomena of a similar kind have been extensively documented. The existence of "interdomain linkers", or flexible tethers, in bacterial two-- component regulatory systems was noted over a decade ago (Wootton and Drummond, 1989), and a number of examples are known in which their use results in enhancements in local concentration. A particularly well characterized system is the Shaker K+ channel, which has been subject to both experimental and theoretical investigation (Hoshi et al., 1990; Timpe and Peller, 1995). Inactivation of the channel occurs when an N-terminal regulatory domain, attached to the core of the protein by a linker assumed to be free of regular secondary-- structure elements, physically blocks the opening of the pore. Flexible looping is also a feature of protein-DNA interactions, where it serves to bring proteins attached at distant sites, such as those involved in transcriptional regulation, close together (Droge and MOller-Hill, 2001). In eukaryotes, the movement of bivalent molecules along cytoskeletal filaments enables organelles and vesicles to be transported from one location in the cell to another. The agents in this case are two-headed motor proteins such as kinesin or myosin IV, which couple the hydrolysis of ATP to unidirectional motion along the filament. However, it is likely that such molecules would, in the absence of ATP hydrolysis, undergo diffusive random walks or "1-D brachiation" (Vilfan et al., 2001). Moving to three dimensions, we might mention the fact that networks of actin filaments in the membrane cortex of many eukaryotic cells typically contain a variety of bivalent actin-binding proteins. Some of these, such as a-actinin and filamin, have two identical actin-binding domains linked by a flexible tether and so should be able to brachiate within the actin meshwork.

In summary, we suggest that the mechanism of molecular brachiation introduced here could operate in a variety of situations within the cell. It carries the potential advantage of allowing an enzyme or other active molecule to be sequestered to a large structure, without the concomitant requirement that the molecule also becomes effectively immobilized because of high-affinity binding. As shown in this study, a brachiating molecule can move in a diffusive fashion over the surface of a 2-D lattice and thereby spread its activity over the entire structure in a relatively short period of time. This physically realistic property should provide cells with the ability to control self-assembly processes in a sensitive and highly flexible manner.

[Reference]

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[Author Affiliation]

Matthew D. Levin, Thomas S. Shimizu, and Dennis Bray

Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom

[Author Affiliation]

Submitted October 22, 2001, and accepted for publication December 28, 2001.

Address reprint requests to Matthew D. Levin, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK. Tel.: 44-1223-336623; Fax: 44-1223-336676; E-mail: md122@cus.cam.ac.uk.

Obama hails 60th Senate vote for health care

Jubilant Senate Democrats locked in the 60th and decisive vote for historic health care reform legislation Saturday, putting President Barack Obama's top domestic policy issue firmly on a path for Christmas Eve passage.

At the White House, Obama swiftly welcomed the breakthrough, saying, "After a nearly century-long struggle, we are on the cusp of making health care reform a reality in the United States of America."

In the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid smiled broadly when asked if Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson's decision gave him the 60-vote majority necessary to overcome solid Republican opposition. "Seems that way," he said.

The Nevada Democrat agreed to a series of concessions on abortion and other issues demanded by Nelson in daylong talks on Friday, then informed Obama of the agreement in a late night phone call as the president flew home from climate talks in Copenhagen.

The Congressional Budget Office said the Senate bill would extend coverage to more than 30 million Americans who lack it. It also imposes new regulations to curb abuses of the insurance industry, and the president noted one last-minute addition would impose penalties on companies that "arbitrarily jack up prices" in advance of the legislation taking effect.

CBO analysts also said the legislation would cut federal deficits by $132 billion over 10 years and possibly much more in the subsequent decade.

The developments unfolded on a day of improbables _ a snowstorm enveloped the Capitol, creating whiteout conditions outside; while inside senators staged dueling news conferences as if their presence on the Saturday before Christmas was the rule rather than the rarest of exceptions.

At its core, the legislation would create a new insurance exchange where consumers could shop for affordable coverage that complied with new federal guidelines. Most Americans would be required to purchase insurance, with federal subsidies available to help defray the cost for lower and middle income individuals and families.

In a concession to Nelson and other moderates, the bill lacks a government-run insurance option of the type that House Democrats inserted into their version of health care reform legislation. In a final defeat for liberals, a proposed expansion of the federal Medicare program for the elderly was also jettisoned in the past several days as Reid and the White House maneuvered for 60 votes. The rejected proposal would have allowed Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 to buy into Medicare.

Outnumbered Republicans unleashed a new series of attacks against the legislation and vowed to delay its passage as long as possible. The next _ and most critical _ test vote was set for about 1 a.m. (0600 GMT) Monday.

To secure passage, Democrats will need to show 60 votes on two additional occasions, and in the meantime, Reid made sure Republicans would have no additional chances to seek changes to the measure.

"This bill is a legislative train wreck of historic proportions," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said at a news conference. He pointed to cuts to Medicare that CBO said totaled more than $470 billion over a decade, with reductions in planned payments to home health care agencies and hospices. He also said the bill includes "massive tax increases" at a time of double-digit unemployment.

Republicans also noted that CBO concluded that under the bill, "federal outlays for health care would increase during the 2010-2019 period, as would the federal budgetary commitment to health care."

True to their word, Republicans objected when Reid sought permission for Nelson to announce his decision in a speech on the Senate floor, then insisted clerks read aloud 383 pages of last-minute changes the majority leader unveiled.

Many of Reid's revisions were designed to secure the 60 votes needed to steer the bill past the Republican filibuster _ a legislative maneuver used to block a final vote on legislation.

Those changes drafted at Nelson's behest drew the most attention, and included further restrictions on abortion coverage in policies sold inside the insurance exchanges.

States would be permitted to ban insurance coverage of abortions in policies sold in the exchanges, except in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is in jeopardy. In states where such coverage is permitted, consumers must notify their insurance company they want it, and pay for it separately.

The Nebraskan also won increased federal funds to cover his state's cost of covering an expanded Medicaid population at a cost that one Democratic official put at $45 million over a decade, and took credit for easing the bill's impact as well as other, smaller changes. Medicaid is the federal program that provides health care coverage for the poor.i

When he finally announced his decision, Nelson did so at a news conference in a Capitol corridor. Noting the bruising negotiations over abortion, he said, "I know this is hard for some of my colleagues to accept and I appreciate their right to disagree. But I would not have voted for this bill without these provisions."

Senators who support abortion rights accepted the changes reluctantly, but conservative Republicans and the National Right to Life Committee criticized them as a step backward from the equivalent part of the House bill.

Nelson, Nebraska's former state insurance commissioner, wasn't the only squeaky senatorial wheel within the 60-member Democratic caucus.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, claimed credit for a last-minute, $10 billion increase in funding for community health centers nationwide, which he said would create new or expanded facilities in 10,000 areas and provide primary care for 25 million more Americans.

Sanders made an impassioned speech on the Senate floor earlier in the week on behalf of a doomed proposal for government-run health care for all Americans. In an interview, he said he only agreed to vote for the legislation on Friday, when Reid told him additional billions for the health centers would be included.

The House passed a health care bill much more acceptable to liberals in November, and assuming the Senate passes a reform measure by Christmas, final compromise talks to meld the two measures into one bill are expected to begin after a brief break for the holidays.

Democrats have made a point all year of compromising on difficult issues in the name of the most far-reaching changes in the nation's health care system in generations, and hope to have a bill for Obama to sign before next month's State of the Union address to Congress.

In place of a government-run insurance option, the estimated 30 million Americans purchasing coverage through new insurance exchanges would have the option of signing up for national plans overseen by the same office that manages health coverage for federal employees and members of Congress. Those plans would be privately owned, but operated on a nonprofit basis.

Insurance companies would be barred immediately from denying coverage to children because of a pre-existing health condition. The prohibition on denial of coverage for adults would not take effect in the Senate bill until 2014, a disappointment for consumer advocates.

The revised bill also calls for a .9 percent increase in the Medicare payroll tax on incomes over $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples. Reid's earlier bill had a smaller hike, .5 percent.

The bill also taxes high-cost insurance plans as part of a plan to put downward pressure on health care use.

The United States is the only wealthy industrialized nation that does not have universal coverage. Health insurance in the U.S. is provided primarily by employers, but the ranks of the uninsured have been growing due to job losses in the recent recession.

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Associated Press writers Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Andrew Taylor, Donna Cassata and Erica Werner contributed to this story.

Disease outbreaks remain a worry in Myanmar

The potential emergence of waterborne diseases in areas pummeled by a massive cyclone in Myanmar raised worries Friday that more could still die, as reports of diarrhea surfaced and shortages of clean water created concerns of a cholera outbreak.

Because relief has been slow to reach storm victims in much of the low-lying Irrawaddy delta, some victims have been drinking whatever water is available. Many freshwater sources have been contaminated by saltwater or decaying human bodies and animal carcasses.

There have been no reports of cholera, but it spreads quickly in areas with poor sanitation, causing acute diarrhea that can lead to dehydration, kidney failure and death. UNICEF said Thursday early estimates indicate 20 percent of children in the most devastated areas are suffering from diarrhea.

"Most of the area is covered by dirty water," said Osamu Kunii, UNICEF's chief of health and nutrition in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city. "There's a lot of dead bodies and they have very poor access _ sometimes no access _ to clean drinking water or food."

In addition, the World Health Organization was worried about malaria outbreaks, said Poonam Khetrapal Singh, deputy director of WHO's Southeast Asia office in New Delhi. The mosquito-borne disease is endemic to the area, and WHO has sent in 10,000 bed nets.

On Thursday, Singh said she had heard reports of malaria outbreaks, but she said Friday it did not appear to be a problem yet.

She said WHO has been informed about a few cases of diarrhea in two districts, but nothing widespread.

"We have been getting reports that safe water is an issue," Singh said. "We are trying to get more and more chlorine tablets to them."

Powerful Cyclone Nargis lashed Yangon along with the country's major rice-growing region Saturday, killing tens of thousands and leaving many more homeless. Food, water and fuel prices have soared in the aftermath, putting basic necessities beyond reach for many living in the impoverished country.

The secretive military-run government has received harsh criticism from the international community for delaying visas for aid workers and placing restrictions on planes entering the country.

Traumatized survivors left homeless in some areas have gone without food for days, and many risk infection from injuries suffered during the storm that caused high winds and flooding, Kunii said. Children are among the biggest worry because they are typically more vulnerable to disease. Many were orphaned by the cyclone.

A WHO team in Myanmar is working to assess the situation, and a few international technical experts are making their way into the country, Singh said.

"It reminds me of the tsunami when every day the figures kept rising, and that's really the pattern here," she said, referring to the 2004 Asian tsunami, which killed nearly 230,000 people.

Kunii said the situation in Myanmar is worse in some ways because more people suffered severe injuries from strong winds, high tides and flooding. And he noted that after the tsunami, food and water could be obtained from inland areas that were not hit by the killer waves.

"This time it is quite difficult because most of the areas are quite remote and difficult to access," Kunii said. "We are trying our best."

Tens of thousands of people die every year in Myanmar, also known as Burma, from tuberculosis, AIDS and diarrhea. Malaria alone kills about 3,000 people annually in the country.

In 2000, WHO ranked Myanmar's health system as the world's worst after war-ravaged Sierra Leone. There are hospitals, but most people cannot afford treatment because about 90 percent of the population lives on just $1 a day.

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Margie Mason covers medical issues for The Associated Press across the Asia-Pacific. She is based in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Phillips out of Angels' lineup, might be put on disabled list

Only hours after being charged with felony possession of cocaine,Tony Phillips rejoined the Anaheim Angels at Comiskey Park, butPhillips was out of the starting lineup Tuesday night against theWhite Sox.

Indications are Phillips might not play again for some time andis probably headed for a drug-treatment facility and 15- or 30-daystint on the disabled list.

Shortly after the start of the game, the Angels announcedPhillips would not return to the lineup pending the outcome of hismeeting with doctors representing Major League Baseball and thePlayers Association. That came after Phillips and everyone connectedto the Angels issued a clear "no comment" about his plight."Whether it's myself, (manager) Terry Collins, Tony Phillips orour players, we have nothing further to say regarding the TonyPhillips situation," Angels general manager Bill Bavasi said. "Thereason we're not talking about this is because we have a pennant totry and win. The more we talk about this, the more distraction thereis to our ballclub.""I'm trying not to get caught up in it," Collins said. "I'mjust trying to make sure we're still ready to play. That's my job.It makes my hair grayer, I'll tell you that."Phillips, 38, was arrested early Sunday by Anaheim police, whosaid he purchased $30 worth of cocaine. The charge carries amaximum sentence of three years, but first offenders completing adrug counseling program and periodic testing for up to a year canhave the case dismissed. But Phillips would first have to pleadguilty on a "deferred entry of judgment."Phillips posted $10,000 bail after his arrest, and a Sept. 18court appearance was scheduled.Phillips' attorney, Allan Stokke, said Tuesday in Californiathat the allegations are out of character for his client."The thing we wanted people to know is that there are no priorarrests or convictions, or anything of this sort," Stokke said. "Wedo not have all reports yet, but we expect to examine all possibledefenses."Stokke declined to talk about the facts of the case, but said hehad encouraged his client to get back to his work as quickly as hecould.The Angels entered Tuesday's game tied for first place with theSeattle Mariners in the American League Central, and Collins'primary concern was distractions created by Phillips' arrest."We have to realize that something happened that's obviouslygoing to get a lot of publicity, but the only thing that matters isthe performance on the field," Collins said."Tony will deal with what he's faced with personally, but wehave to understand what our focus needs to be. That's being tiedwith the Seattle Mariners. We have to stay in that fight."Minutes before the game began, Phillips signed autographs forfans, mostly kids."Five bucks says he wouldn't be out here signing if it (thearrest) hadn't happened," said Tom Myers of Batavia, who helped hisyoung sons, Johnny and Jordan, get autographs. "They wanted anautograph, and he's one of the only players signing, so I said whatthe heck."Ozzie Guillen was one of several Sox who visited with theirformer teammate, who was traded to the Angels in May, before thegame."I don't feel sorry for him; I don't feel bad for him," Guillensaid. "Hopefully, he'll get his act together. He's a human being,and humans make mistakes. He should be punished. But to me, TonyPhillips is a great guy."Contributing: Associated Press

on the move

Illinois

Harris has elected Frank McGovern regional president in the Barrington region. He was senior vice president and district sales director for the former Charter One Bank, Cleveland, Ohio.

Louisiana

Katherine Andry Crosby has been named chairman for Fidelity Homestead Savings Bank, New Orleans. She succeeds Allain C. Andry KI, who has served as chairman since 1987. Andry will continue to serve as general counsel and a director. He has been named chairman emeritus and will serve on the bank's executive committee. Crosby is the great-granddaughter of Allain C. Andry Sr., one of the original founders of Fidelity in 1908. Fidelity Homestead has also promoted Danny Jones to regional manager overseeing the Baton Rouge, Hammond and Ponchatoula locations. He will continue as vice president and a commercial lending officer.

MidSouth Bank, Lafayette, has promoted John Nichols to executive vice president and chief credit officer and Carolyn Lay to senior vice president and chief retail officer. Both officers have more than 30 years of banking experience.

Gary Broussard has been advanced to senior vice president for Home Bank, Lafayette. He has been with the bank for eight years and currently serves as commercial banking manager. Promoted to vice president at Home Bank was Steve Caillier, special assets officer.

Minnesota

TCF Financial Corp., Wayzata, has announced that Gregory J. Pulles will retire as vice chairman and secretary in January 2011 after 25 years with the company. He will remain a director.

John Gill has joined Western Bank, St. Paul, as senior vice president and chief financial officer.

Missouri

The Business Bank of St. Louis, Clayton, has promoted Larry Kirby to president and CEO. He joined the bank in 2008 and most recently was executive vice president, responsible for commercial real estate lending. As president, he succeeds Mike Flavin, who is now executive vice president and director of business development. As CEO, Kirby succeeds founder David Mishler, who remains vice chairman. Tom O'Meara continues as chairman.

Kent Scheible has been named market president for Premier Bank, Lenexa, Kan. He will serve Premier's Northland Bank in North Kansas City. He brings more than 25 years of financial services industry and commercial lending experience, most of which has been in the Northland community, to his new post.

Heartland Bank, Clayton, has added Joseph P. Downs to its staff as vice president, commercial real estate.

Nebraska

John Martin has been named chairman and president of First National of Friend. Martin has served as head of agricultural lending and correspondent banking for Omaha National and as senior executive of the Farm Credit Banks. At First National, Vice Presidents Jim Niemeier and Russ Kosch will expand their roles.

American National, Omaha, has promoted Kelly Roberts to executive vice president and commercial banking division head. She has been with the bank since 1996, and was suburban region leader. Kevin Svec has been advanced to first vice president and suburban regional leader. He will be responsible for the business banking activities throughout Sarpy County and portions of southern Douglas County. He has been with the bank 1 3 years.

Gary Bieck has joined Cornerstone Bank, York, as vice president/commercial & agricultural loans. He most recently was a vice president in the corporate banking area at the former TierOne Bank, Lincoln.

South Dakota

HF Financial Corp., Sioux Falls, S.D., has named Stephen M. Bianchi to serve its operating subsidiary Home Federal Bank, Sioux Falls, as president- Twin Cities and senior vice president.

Wisconsin

David A. Baumgarten has been elected president and director of Bank Mutual Corp., Milwaukee. As president, he succeeds Michael T. Crowley Jr., who will continue as chairman and CEO. Baumgarten continues as president of the holding company's bank subsidiary, Bank Mutual. Crowley also continues as chairman and CEO of the bank.

Harris, Chicago, has named Dan Barron regional president for the Wisconsin-North region. He will be based out of Harris' Cedarburg branch. Barron most recently was regional president of Harris' northeast Illinois operations.

Joan Woldt has joined Bank First National, Manitowoc, as regional president. She was with Green Bay-based Associated Bank in the Fox Valley and Fond du Lac markets. Meghann Kasper has joined the staff as vice president, business banking. She was also with Associated Bank. The two new officers will join Michael Dempsey, executive vice president and chief operating officer, in establishing the bank's footprint in the Oshkosh and Fox Valley area.

Oklahoma

Regent Bank, Nowata, has added Greg Boudreau to its staff as executive vice president and director of business banking. He has 20 years of commercial banking experience in Oklahoma, most recently with SpiritBank, Tulsa.

Ray B. Baumgarten has joined Tulsa National as executive vice president and management team member. He was most recently senior vice president and manager of commercial real estate lending in Tulsa for Arvest Bank, Fayetteville, Ark.

Colorado

Adams Bank & Trust, Ogallala, Neb., has named John A. Busby commercial loan officer assigned to its Northern Colorado branches. Busby was president and CEO of Loveland Bank of Commerce.

Iowa

Daniel Hawks has been named senior vice president and commercial loan officer for First American Bank, Fort Dodge.

Bankers Trust in Des Moines has promoted John Ru an IV to vice president of financial institutions. He joined Bankers Trust in 2007 as an assistant vice president and commercial loan officer. In his new role, Ruan will provide leadership and expertise in Bankers Trust's services to other financial institutions throughout the Midwest.

Kansas

National Bank of Kansas City, Overland Park, has named Teresa Commerford senior vice president, commercial lender. Commerford, who will be at the bank's Nail Avenue location, has owned and operated several small businesses in Kansas. The bank has also added Karlin Andrade as vice president, treasury services manager. Andrade has 10 years of banking experience and will also be at the bank's Nail Avenue office.

Italy government proposes tax reform

Premier Silvio Berlusconi's Cabinet has proposed giving local authorities in Italy greater control over taxation, in a nod to a crucial government ally.

The Northern League has long pressed the government to give greater autonomy to the country's regions. The League complains that tax money from Italy's rich north goes to the underdeveloped south.

The measures would also increase the ability of local authorities to spend the money raised.

Roberto Calderoli, a minister and League official, said there was consensus among the Cabinet for the changes. The League's better-than-expected showing in 2008 parliamentary elections helped Berlusconi's conservative alliance secure a major triumph.

Parliament must approve the measures proposed Friday.

понедельник, 12 марта 2012 г.

Cosima von Bonin

Cosima von Bonin

FRIEDRICH PETZEL GALLERY

As the diminutive ending of its title, "The Pierres at the Petzellette," made clear, Cosima von Bonin's third solo show at Petzel was meant to be intimate. Encountered in the anteroom of the gallery space, the forlorn twenty-inch-high Doorstop (Concrete Mushroom #1), 2007, which also resembles an enlarged pincushion, further emphasized this deliberate scaling down of mise-en-sc�ne, since it signaled that the toadstool, one of the artist's enduring sculptural motifs, might be less prominent in the exhibition. The encounter proved a striking counterbalance to the artist's last outing at the gallery, in 2006, "Relax, It's Only a Ghost," an elaborate installation reprised wholesale in Documenta 12. By contrast, this more recent show parceled out an arrangement of eight works and resembled nothing so much as a showroom redaction of the artist's output over the past three years.

Von Bonin's play off of barriers and entrances, discipline and comfort, security devices and luxury items, was largely reduced to a controlled exchange between the gleaming and matte surfaces of interior and exterior design: A white powder-coated-steel gate, of the type that secures an exclusive property or gated com- munity, confronted the visitor (Gate, 2007); a Juliet balcony was installed on the wall behind it, with a pair of spent Dunlop Formula One racing tires propped up behind its railing (Off Mirror [Balcony & Tires], 2007). Similarly opaque witticisms were located in a white lac- quered wall-mounted chair with cowhide cush- ions, Reference Hell #1, (YSL Fauteuil), 2007, and in an "anti-authoritarian kindergarten" bench - two movable seats hinged together end-to-end with sheet steel - relegated to the gallery's back office (Antiautoritaerer Kindergarten [Zollstock/Rule #2/Bipartite], 2007). Nearly all fabricated for the artist's compelling midcareer survey last fall at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, "Roger and Out," the sculptures here suggested a sample sale in their placement alongside von Bonin's figurative and twodimensional works; the items, already imbued with the absurdist patina of plush set pieces meant for a performance forever postponed, took on an aura of discontinued stock.

Isolated from its brethren, the outsize line of stuffed animals populating von Bonin's recent installations was likewise reduced, limited to a gray Saint Bernard whose droopy visage and accommodating keg find an equivalent domestic emblem in the gingham apron the dog wears - a classic housewife accessory ironically offset in this instance by a fashionable floppy hat and, in place of the animal's collar, four scarves. Even the artist's Lappen (or "rags"), canvaslike textile pictures often shown in groupings, were pared down to one piece: Hand von rechts (Hand from the Right), 2008.

With a trajectory of influence that extends from Sigmar Polke's early paintings on cheap fabrics and Blinky Palermo's fabric paintings from the mid-1960s and the early '70s, through Martin Kippenberger's checkered "price" or "prize" paintings ("Preis Bilder," 1987-94), von Bonin's bannerlike works often feature gnomic fragments of borrowed text alongside cartoonish figures; in Hand von rechts, the patchwork backdrop foregrounds - in white stitched outline - a band of simian musicians perched atop mushroom caps, the balled fist of an entertainer's white-gloved hand, and the phrase HARMONIE iSTEINE STRATEGIE ("harmony is a strategy"), which has been crossed out. An earlier textile work not included at Petzel, Shirt/Fluff/Same Day, 2007, also features the phrase, which is a lyric by longtime collaborator Dirk von Lowtzow, singer of the German band Tocotronic - an appropriation canceled by this more recent work. Made by an artist with a protean formal sensibility and a habit for making hermetic references, this particular revision suggests, especially in the exhibition's remaindered economy, a turning of the stylistic page.

- Fionn Meade